Category: 2018

The Kildare County Show will take place on Sunday 17th of June at 11.00am in the GAA grounds in Athy, Co Kildare. This will be an action packed day of fun for all of the family including a Food Fayre, Quality Machinery & Cars, a Dog Show, Bubble Soccer, Sheep Dog Trials, Music & Dancing, a Petting Corner and much much more! All accompanied under 14s are free of charge.

The Kildare County Show Society has contributed greatly to the social and economic development of Athy and its hinterland over the past hundred years and intends to continue to do so for many years to come. One of its great strengths has been to grow with changing circumstances, adapting in format and emphasis over the years to meet the demands of modern times and economic circumstances.
 
In recent years its committee has numbered over 50 people giving generously of their time and voluntary effort. This commitment and the ability to provide a relevant and entertaining show has continued to make the Kildare County Show held in the Athy Showgrounds, a very special event for over a century.
 
Background

How it all began
 The show began as the South Kildare Agricultural and Horticultural Show Society, based in Athy, around the beginning of the 20th Century.  To facilitate the show, the early members of the society acquired an area of open space on the east side of Athy comprised of about 20 acres and known ever since then as the Showgrounds. This area already had a number of playing fields on which both Rugby and latterly Gaelic football was played.
The Kildare Show becomes a national event
Things began to improve in 1944 with the foundation of Macra na Feirme in Athy which led to the holding of a Produce Show in the Vocational School in 1946. An outdoor section was added in 1947 and the show was held behind the Railway Bar in Leinster St. The following year, the Kildare Show Society came into its own again, expanded the event and moved it back to the Showgrounds. 
 The show grew to become a very large national two-day event, held during the first or second week in July each year. However, during a period of great difficulty for agriculture nationally in the late 1960s, the show went into decline and ceased altogether in 1971.
The heritage should not be lost
Anna May McHugh, Director of the National Ploughing Association had worked for the Kildare Show in earlier years. She became anxious that the heritage of a show in Athy should not be lost and initiated a public meeting in the Castle Inn, Athy, in the autumn of 1994. This well attended meeting led to the formation of the Kildare County Show Society and the show has continued to me a great success to this date.

Up to 90% of the stand space is booked for this year’s National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly from Sept 18^th – 20^th.  This interest in #Ploughing18 is indicative of the success of the event, 15 weeks to go until Europe’s largest outdoor event kicks off preparations are well underway.

NPA Managing Director Anna May McHugh said “It is the primary aim of the National Ploughing Association to improve exhibitor and visitor experience to ensure the best possible ‘Ploughing’ for all.   The Exhibition Team in NPA have confirmed that early bookings this year have surpassed previous records which highlights how beneficial it is for businesses, companies and organisations to this epic event.

There is serious worldwide appeal with exhibitors, international buyers and visitors coming from countries such as Turkey, the USA, UK, Germany, India, Poland, Belgium, New Zealand, France, Saudi Arabia, Latvia and the Netherlands all attending.

With record crowds of 291,500 visitors and over 1,700 exhibitors last year and the site in Screggan proving to be a phenomenal success, signals would suggest another ‘great ploughing’ is on the way.”

There will be an array of new exhibitors as well as hundreds of outstanding veteran companies showcasing their products and services in dynamic ways.   The dairy sector will be very well catered for with many new additions.  The very latest models in agricultural machinery will be on display, quality livestock, a Forestry Village, Motor Show, Food Fayre, Hunt Chase, Fashion Shows, Live Music & Dancing, Sheep Dog Trials, an extended Local Enterprise Village with over 80 exhibitors as well as National Baking Competitions, Craft Shows and many topical seminars.  With celebrities and well known faces everywhere Ploughing 2018 is not to be missed.

The popular Innovation Arena is set to make a very welcome return with ground breaking technologies and cutting edge ideas that will amaze.  With a total prize fund to the value of over €80,000 there are only a few weeks left to enter – please see  www.innovationarena.ie.

In the ploughing stakes a particularly strong programme has attracted entries from all around the country and Northern Ireland bringing the number preparing to plough in Offaly over 300 for the 3 days.